I approached this issue by elaborating about the network-centric approach which is being applied by many companies. Using the concept of Wikinomics, I shared how companies are now looking for talents and brain power outside of their organisational walls.

Given that academicians have the knowledge based and research capabilities, they are well positioned to participate in a more collaborative environment. Their key challenge would be how to build relationships with industry players so that the academicians would be the first face to be recall whenever people in industry have certain business needs.

At the same time I also highlighted that business issues and challenges come from a multi-dimensional perspective. Therefore, offering a narrow and singular solution would not work well in solving real life problems.

The conference was officiated by the Deputy Minister of Higher Education and also attended by foreign academicians from Australia, United Kingdom and few other countries.